Thieves target kids

By Kath Gannaway
THE theft of computers worth more than $5000 from two Healesville primary schools last week has taken some of the shine off Christmas for the school communities.
In a bold daylight smash and grab on Monday, 12 December, thieves stole a computer valued at about $2500 from St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School setting the alarm off at 7.50am.
Later that day, sometime between 6pm and 11.45pm during a power blackout, Healesville Primary School library was broken into and three new computers valued at more than $3000 were stolen.
It is the second attack on the school this month after five school bikes were stolen three weeks ago.
The thefts have brought a barrage of anger from local police and the school communities.
Healesville Primary School Council president Kersten Gentle, in a letter to the Mail, labelled the thieves callous and heartless.
She said the thieves had not stolen from the school, but from the children.
“I don’t expect the thieves to have a heart but I do hope they feel guilty,” she wrote.
Sending a message that the Healesville community would not tolerate ‘this low life behaviour’, Ms Gentle also called on the government to provide Healesville police with the necessary resources to tackle what she described as ‘a crime rate spiralling out of control’.
School principals Howard Jones from Healesville and Brett Collison from St Brigids have also expressed their disappointment that schools should be targeted in this way.
“It leaves a very bad taste.
“They have to be replaced and that means something else doesn’t get done.
“It’s also upsetting for the kids when they see this sort of thing,” Mr Jones said.
Mr Collison said the timing of the theft means staff members were arriving at the school when the theft occurred, which he said was very disturbing.
The thefts had also resulted in an enormous amount of work for staff members.
Healesville police are investigating the burglaries. Sgt Tony Van Gorp said the power blackouts made it easy for the thieves.
“A new opportunistic thief targeting primary schools makes everyone extremely angry,” he said. “It hurts our kids and we need to find the culprit,” he said.
Sgt Van Gorp is appealing to anyone who is offered a cheap computer or has information about the thefts to contact Healesville police on 5962 4422.